3 ways competitive coworkers can benefit your career

In the workplace, healthy competition can no doubt be a healthy incentive. Studies have shown that competition fuels creativity as well as improves quality of the work produced but on the flip side, too much competition can be deadly. It kills morale and causes stress. When the competition arises to the extent where you colleagues steal your big idea at a meeting, then it fosters. It feels like a co-worker intentionally is dragging you down.

These are the times when it feels like taking some kind of action to stop their activities. Following are the ways that can help to turn a fierce competition to your advantage.

Make them your friends:

Dealing with competitive co-workers seems very hard at first but if you become friends with them, you can easily assess their next move. Look at the positive aspects of their challenging behavior and try to be friends with them. For example, when you see your idea being stolen by a colleague, approach the competitive co-worker, and appreciate them as their idea. Tell them that you have been working on something similar and it would be a great help if they can join you. This is not suggested for every situation but in this way, you will not be all alone and unaware of what is coming next.

But turning competitors into allies isn’t always easy; you must have a deep level of empathy and an ability to build the gap in between. But if you are able to do it, you will teach your competition the importance of team work.

Use the competition as motivation:

A little competition encourages you to improve your skills and show your colleagues and manager that you do have the abilities to lead. But when there is a competitive co-worker in the way, you feel like your abilities being sabotaged. But you can use this competition for improving yourself by signing up online classes, standing up for risks in your current role, or learning from colleagues who have a greater grip in their field.

Act with integrity:

Integrity is an essential quality required to be a good employee. The more morally good you are, there are greater chances that you will win in the end. No matter how frustrating the competition from your colleague becomes, always be fair in your decisions. Do not try to engage in a petty competition like you co-worker and stay focused with your team-oriented work.